This invention relates to a system for making angular cuts and cutouts in stepped siding used for application on the face of outer walls of buildings and more particularly to a method and apparatus for cutting metal stepped siding for fitting to gables and windows.
Prepainted galvanized steel siding is very desirable for the exterior surfaces of residential buildings because of its high strength, resistance to hail damage and low thermal coefficient of expansion. Flat siding is satisfactorily cut in the field, both angular and 90.degree. cuts, with conventional tools. Siding with an intermediate stepped portion which gives the appearance of two courses of siding is difficult to cut because of problem supporting the material in shaped supporting dies for cutting. While 90.degree. cuts across the face of stepped siding may be satisfactorily made with shaped supporting dies, angular cuts and cutouts often result in damaging or deforming the metal at the step when conventional shears are used.
In accordance with my invention, the location of an angular cut or a cutout is marked on the piece of siding being prepared for installation. The siding is then placed in a small, lightweight specially designed tool to remove a small rectangular piece of metal from the step at the mark. The tool includes a die shaped to fit the step of the siding and a punch shaped to cut the metal progressively in a shearing action which minimizes the force required to make the cut and tends to wipe the zinc coating over the edge of the steel to prevent edge rusting. A series of cuts aligned with the cutout are made with a conventional cutter to complete the cut.
It is therefore an object of our invention to provide a method of making cutouts or angular cuts on stepped siding which does not deform the metal.
Another object of our invention is to provide an apparatus that punches out a section of stepped siding including a portion of the step.
A further object of our invention is to provide an apparatus that punches out a section of stepped galvanized siding with a minimum of force and tends to wipe zinc coating over the cut edge.